


The Way the Cookie Crumbles

by Gorgeous Nerd (gorgeousnerd)



Category: Fringe
Genre: Character of Color, Community: help_japan, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-14
Updated: 2011-05-14
Packaged: 2017-10-19 09:16:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/199275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgeousnerd/pseuds/Gorgeous%20Nerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Astrid was a professional.  She knew how she worked best, and she knew how to keep feelings to herself.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Way the Cookie Crumbles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [monanotlisa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/monanotlisa/gifts).



> Thanks to tsuxavier for the beta! (Also on [LJ](http://chomalfoyfics.livejournal.com/43031.html) and [DW](http://firmament.dreamwidth.org/36316.html).)

One day, after Olivia stopped using the cane but before Walter got lost in Chinatown, Astrid noticed how nice Olivia's hair looked in sunlight.

The next, Astrid noticed the little crinkle on Olivia's forehead when she smiled. Not the polite, I'm-a-professional-agent smile she had on standby, but the real one, the one startled out of her when Walter walked through the lab with a tinhat on his head. Astrid also noticed the little smile Olivia shot her behind Walter's back.

The day after that, Olivia brought Astrid coffee. "One cream, one sugar, right?"

"Right."

Astrid sipped the coffee and watched Olivia walk away.

Oh. _Oh._

-

Astrid was a professional. She knew how she worked best, and she knew how to keep feelings to herself.

She worked her eight hours - okay, on days with cases, it was more like twelve or thirteen, if the world wasn't about to end - and looked Olivia in the eye whenever she asked questions. And then she went home and baked until she was tired enough to sleep.

This went on for eight days. On the ninth day, her fridge was full of wrapped cookies, and she was out of flour. For the fourth time.

-

"Olivia--"

"Astrid, hi." Olivia had her phone against her ear. Not a good time. But before Astrid could move away, Olivia said, "Where'd Peter and Walter go?"

"Dentist. Walter had a toothache."

Olivia clicked off her phone and stuck it in her pocket. "Feel like looking at a man who's turned inside out?"

"Is that a trick question?" But Astrid was already going for Walter's case of supplies.

On their way out, Olivia passed the plate of cookies Astrid brought in. "Are these yours or Walter's?"

"Mine," Astrid said.

Olivia popped a cookie in her mouth and walked out the door. Astrid allowed herself a little groan and followed.

-

Olivia wasn't kidding about the inside-out man. Astrid hadn't thought she was joking, but it was always good to be optimistic.

There wasn't much for Astrid to do. She took samples and listened to Olivia talk with Broyles about the case - apparently, there was some doubt this actually fit into their jurisdiction - and asked the techs on the scene to pack up the body to take back to the lab. If Walter had been around, he'd probably already have a theory, not to mention a previous experiment of his that tied into what was going on. (Astrid could hear it now: "Belly and I were working on a way to externalize organs to make them easier to clone." Or something.)

But the sun was shining, and she was out of the lab.

Olivia waved her over to the car and rubbed her hands together. "Got any more of those cookies?"

Yeah. It could definitely be worse.

-

Sure enough, the inside-out man wasn't actually a Fringe case. And for once, Astrid was the one to figure it out.

"Walter," she said, after he'd come back and put on his hat and gloves. Olivia and Peter had left to follow a lead. "Check this out."

He leaned in to see where she pointed.

"These look like...incisions," Walter said. He huffed. "Why, they're everywhere."

Astrid was on the phone with Olivia in another five minutes.

"You're sure?" Olivia asked.

"Pretty sure, yeah," Astrid said. "Walter thinks--"

"Blasphemy! A waste of my time!" Walter crashed a tray against the wall.

"--it was a surgeon. I checked the database, and there have been two other cases that involved surgical-style killings in the last six months that fit a similar profile."

"Did you forward them to Broyles?"

"Just did. He'll probably check in with you soon."

"I'll drop Peter off in a few minutes. Enjoy your night."

Astrid blurted, before Olivia could hang up, "Would you like to get a drink? After you drop Peter off."

"Really?"

"Only if you want to! I just thought it'd be nice. Since we're free tonight."

"No, no." Astrid could hear the smile in her voice. "I think that's a great idea."

They hung up the phone. Astrid exhaled, and she grinned at Walter as he raided the fridge for milkshake ingredients.

-

Astrid figured the "after you drop Peter off" part was self-explanatory.

"What are you drinking?" Peter asked as he took Astrid's coat.

Apparently not.

"Dry martini," Astrid said. She smiled when he nodded; even if this wasn't what she wanted, she liked seeing Peter.

"Olivia?"

"Scotch, neat."

"Great. Get a table, I'll be back in a minute."

The bar was comfortable: full enough so there was a hum in the air, but empty enough that Olivia and Astrid found a table in seconds. Astrid watched Olivia watch Peter at the bar.

"You and Peter go drinking a lot?" Astrid asked.

Olivia tapped her fingers on the table. "Not really. It's hard to fit in, you know?"

"Boy, do I." Astrid took a deep breath and leaned in. "I just...I don't mind that Peter came, but I was hoping it'd just be the two of us."

Olivia's eyes swung toward Astrid. Astrid let herself stare back. Olivia had freckles spread over her nose, and a small smile on her lips, and...

"Martini, scotch, and water."

Peter lowered three drinks on the table.

"Water?" Astrid blurted.

"For me. I can't stay long. Walter was talking about using the oven again."

Peter winked at Astrid. She blushed and hoped Olivia didn't see.

-

Things were going well. Really well.

Peter left after a drink, and Astrid only sipped her martini. Even Olivia, who told a couple really good drinking stories, stuck with one scotch.

"I'd like to stay clearheaded," she said.

Olivia talked about Ella. Astrid talked about her own family, and how they'd supported her through school. Olivia talked about Sam Weiss, and Astrid talked about how she'd fallen on her butt the last time she'd gone bowling.

After a couple hours, Astrid decided to push her luck. "I've got more cookies back at my place."

Olivia's forehead crinkled when she smiled.

-

The next evening, Astrid didn't bake cookies. She did several loads of laundry instead.

Couldn't have Olivia coming back to chocolate-stained sheets, after all.


End file.
